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The Life Hack Stack Exchange has an answer talking about a prototype "toastie knife" from Warbutons Bakery.

It was claimed that the prototype knife would heat up to allow butter to be spread more easily.

The knife was also reported on by the UK Daily Mail, amongst other places.

The We Love Ad site talks about the success of this marketing campaign, describing this as

a one-off branded prototype butter knife with heated, battery-powered element operating at 48ºC, the optimum temperature to soften butter - and launched it via traditional and social media, with supporting infographic, YouTube video and ‘#toastieknife’ hashtag.

The advert brags about achieving an optimal butter spreading, at a temperature of 41.8°C in 30 seconds, using two AA batteries.

I'd be interested to know if a working prototype was ever produced.

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  • I don't see a problem with heating a knife to 41.8°C with batteries. That's only about 20 degrees above room temperature, and the specific heat of stainless steel is very low (i.e. it takes very little energy to heat it.) – Moyli May 01 '16 at 12:30
  • @Moyli It's only using two AA batteries and it's supposed to be melting enough butter to help you spread it. Sounds perfectly reasonable to you? – candied_orange May 01 '16 at 13:13
  • It seems no-one ever said that the knife was in production - it seems clear it was never the intention to go it into production. So, I have focussed the question on the claim made; that a prototype was produced. The trouble is I can't even see where they claim it was a *working* prototype. Mocking up a plastic model of what it might look like if it worked still is a legitimate prototype. – Oddthinking May 01 '16 at 15:01
  • @Oddthinking I can understand why you want the question focused. I had intended the four points to be used in an exclusionary way, not as a buffet that you could pick from and only address one. If you think this is the only way to make the question viable I'll accept it. – candied_orange May 01 '16 at 15:45
  • Doubt that it would actually work. Put a cold piece of butter on toast and try to spread it with a warm knife. The knife just slips over the surface of the butter. So can one produce a "working prototype" of something that won't actually work? – jamesqf May 01 '16 at 17:32
  • @CandiedOrange: Skeptics.SE has a very weird scope. Just about everything subject is on-topic, but it needs to be a notable claim - that is, something that many people believe or has been widely heard. These articles are very careful about their wording. I think your conclusion that the whole thing is a PR stunt, and that the bakery never had any intention of becoming a kitchenware manufacturer is probably true, but I can't see where they claim that they have done anything more illustrate a cool idea with a stage prop for a photo shoot. – Oddthinking May 01 '16 at 22:20
  • @CandiedOrange Warming a spoonful of butter to 15°C over ambient with two AA batteries is not difficult. You can pull about 1.5-2 Watts from each, for half an hour. 3-4 Watt gives plenty of heat for this task. – pipe May 02 '16 at 01:39
  • @Oddthinking As I am asking a question it would be irresponsible for me to make a conclusion. I am trying to be open to all possibilities given sufficient evidence. I'm also trying to be sensitive to implied claims. If they invite us to connect the dot's isn't part of a valid answer to show the dot's aren't connected? – candied_orange May 02 '16 at 04:50
  • @pipe that's a good start on the physics of the problem. I'm looking for a well researched answer that can show if this can be done, if it was done, and if Warburtons can make it happen at my kitchen table. But as this is my first question here I'll differ judgements of scope to Oddthinking. – candied_orange May 02 '16 at 05:42
  • jamesqf - I usually heat my knife (by holding it over the toaster) to spread butter. It works perfectly - so I'm not sure why you think it "just slips" – Rory Alsop May 03 '16 at 12:27
  • @Rory Alsop: Because I've tried it - experimental evidence, you know? Though I was spreading butter on cold bread rather than warm toast. Having both sides of the cold slab of butter being warm & slippery could well make for different behavior. – jamesqf May 03 '16 at 17:57

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